Jolene
by Ansy Pansy aka Panz
Summary: She knew. She couldn’t deny it. And so it came down to this. AU


Jolene

**Summary: **She knew. She couldn't deny it. And so it came down to this.

**Disclaimer:** I obviously do not own the characters

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One of the ladies I work with listens to Radio 2 all day and Dolly Parton and Jolene came on today. It's been stuck in my head since and I've been singing it all evening. Somewhere along the line this came into my head. I am in no way suggesting this is true, the feeling I get from what I've read is that it certainly isn't but this is just a little fanfic. Apologies if this is a little experimental for some tastes however I have named no names.  
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_Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene  
I'm begging of you please don't take my man  
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene  
Please don't take him just because you can._

She knew. Of course she knew. How could she not?  
Their chemistry was obvious, their friendship incredibly close.  
She wasn't stupid. And she wasn't going to deny it. What would be the point? Denial really wasn't the highly effective coping mechanism her husband's TV show made it out to be. She knew that if _she_ wanted she could most likely have him. Take him.

_Your beauty is beyond compare  
With flaming locks of auburn hair  
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green  
_

_She_ was beautiful, she couldn't deny that. Far more beautiful than she herself had been, even back when she was young. Back when he had fallen in love with her. What if he had fallen out of love in the last twenty years? What if he had fallen for _her_ instead?  
A woman whose ivory complexion belied the existence of wrinkles, whose body showed no signs of age or weariness despite not being that many years younger than she was.  
A woman without roots that needed redoing, hair that needed styling. Whose hair was always that little bit blonder, that little bit more natural looking than hers had been for a long time.  
A woman with enchanting eyes, incredibly expressive in their shades of blue and green. Her husband's eyes were like that too and maybe that's why the two of them were able to communicate so well without words. It had taken years of love and marriage for them to find that connection. How had_ she_ and her husband known how almost instantly?

_Your smile is like a breath of spring  
Your voice is soft like summer rain  
And I cannot compete with you, Jolene_

There was no way she could compete with that woman. _Her_ million dollar, megawatt smile. _Her_ perfect body. _She _was always immaculate; perfectly groomed and turned out. So soft-spoken, polite and friendly. There really wasn't a thing wrong with _her_ and that made it even harder. How could she compete with a goddess?

_He talks about you in his sleep  
There's nothing I can do to keep  
From crying when he calls your name, Jolene_

He had always slept talk. He'd done it since the first time she spent the night back in college and it continued throughout their marriage. It didn't often wake her anymore and mostly it was intelligible or simply nonsense but she heard with crystal clarity when he said that name. _Her_ name in his sleep. Moaning and mumbling and dreaming of _her_.  
It wasn't fair. She didn't want to know _she_ was in his head, his subconscious. In his dreams as well as his daytime. Even if it was true she didn't want to hear the proof. Proof that left her pillow damp and salty. She couldn't help it. Even if it was natural to mention someone you spent so much time with while sleeping it didn't make it any easier to hear. It wasn't just once. It wasn't just _her_ name in a sentence or a monotone. He called _her_ name, spoke to _her_ and the tears fell because she wanted to be the one he was dreaming of.

_And I can easily understand  
How you could easily take my man  
But you don't know what he means to me, Jolene_

It was oh so simple if _she_ wanted to. Men were easily led, she knew that. Her husband was no exception really. She believed he wouldn't. Hoped he wouldn't. He did love her after all, love their marriage, their children, their family. But mystery and intrigue, change and excitement always drew him in. And they got along so well, had that friendship, that connection. _She_ could snap her fingers and everything would come crashing down around her. More than two decades of marriage, years and years of love, a solid relationship, a happy family, a way of life, a fairytale. _She_ couldn't possibly know what _she _was doing if _she _did do such a thing. _She _didn't know how much he meant to her. He was the love of her life, her surprise, her talented ambitious young man, her boyfriend, fiancé, husband, the father of her children, her soulmate. If _she_ knew, _she_ couldn't possibly, could _she_?

_Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene  
I'm begging of you please don't take my man  
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene  
Please don't take him just because you can_

'Do you know any Dolly Parton songs?' she asked _her_. Euphemisms were probably the least painful way of having this conversation.  
'Um...a couple.'  
'There's this song...feels like the soundtrack to my life right now.'  
'Is it nine to five? I heard you've been busy lately?'  
Heard. So they talked about her.  
'No. Jolene.'  
'Oh.'  
'You know it?'  
'Yes.'  
'I'm not saying there's anything...'  
She understood immediately, cutting in, _her_ voice sharp. 'There isn't!'  
'I know how you feel about him.'  
'You don't. Or you would know there is no way _anything_ would _ever_ happen.'  
'I know what it's like to be in love with him.'  
_She_ swallowed.  
'Please, _please_ just don't... I loved him first.'  
'I...I can't believe you think I'd... God.' _She_ looked like she was about to cry. Or be sick. _She_ had gone very pale. 'He _loves_ you, you're _married_.'  
'And you're beautiful.'  
'I have to go.'  
She saw the tears spilling down _her_ face, her own following seconds later, as the younger woman turned away, hand over mouth. Had that really been the right thing to do?

_You could have your choice of men  
But I could never love again  
He's the only one for me, Jolene_

_She_ could have any man _she_ wanted she was sure. _She_ was drop dead gorgeous, beautiful. _She_ had the perfect face, perfect body. And, to add insult to injury, was a genuinely nice person. Sometimes it was damn hard to dislike _her_. Men must flock to _her_, stare and watch _her _anywhere and everywhere. Could _she_ really want the only man that had noticed her. The man who had stopped on the stairwell all those years ago, when she was the only one there. Who had watched her every minute she was on stage in every rehearsal and every night of the show they were in together, and pretended he didn't. Who stuttered and stumbled and ducked his head sheepishly for seven years. Who pursued her doggedly despite everything life threw at them. Who loved her and she loved more than she could ever have imagined. There was no one else. There couldn't be.

_I had to have this talk with you  
My happiness depends on you  
And whatever you decide to do, Jolene_

She debated whether to say something for so long. But she was desperate. Her life, her happiness depended on that woman. _She_ held her fate in _her_ hands, or lips. If she thought she could scare _her_ off, threaten _her_, warn _her_ away, she would. But it was past that, if it had ever been possible. The only route left was appeal.

_Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene  
I'm begging of you please don't take my man  
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene  
Please don't take him even though you can_

She didn't think _she_ really would. _She_ wasn't that person. But she knew _she _loved him too and love made people act of out character.  
She didn't think he could. The way he loved her, looked at her, spoke of her to other people contradicted all her fears and yet they were still there.  
She had never felt like this before. Ever. No one had ever unsettled her the way _she_ had. If anyone could ever possibly take him, it would be_ her_.

_Jolene, Jolene_

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Thanks for reading. Please leave a review however you feel about the fic.  
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